SWAZILAND: More than 50,000 bare-breasted girls took part in Swaziland's annual reed dance yesterday, at a ceremony in which King Mswati III was expected to choose his 13th wife.
Historically the week-long ceremony culminates at the queen mother's residence in Ludzidzini, central Swaziland, where young women lay reeds in front of the royal kraal and dance for her as a form of cultural respect.
However, in recent years the ancient ceremony has been hijacked by Africa's last absolute monarch and used as a means to view potential brides.
Last year his royal guards went to the home of 16-year-old Nothando Dube, a Miss Teen Swazi finalist, a week after the reed dance and earlier this year she became his 12th wife.
Aside from the 50,000 girls, who are supposed to be virgins, yesterday's ceremony was attended by King Mswati, who wore a leopard skin lion cloth, and his mother - who is known as the Great She Elephant - his 12 wives and around 2,000 spectators, mainly tourists or expatriates.
But the event was shrouded in controversy following a royal decree last week that a five-year no-sex rite for teenage girls be lifted.
The ban had been put in place in an effort to stop the spread of HIV/Aids, which has infected 42.6 per cent of the adult population. Breaching the chastity vow before marriage was punishable and anyone who violated a maiden was fined one cow.
When King Mswati III breached the teenage-sex ban himself a couple of years ago, he promptly fined himself a cow for picking a teenage girl as his ninth wife. Following the lifting of the ban, about 20,000 young women symbolically piled their chastity tassels in a large heap outside the queen mother's residence in Ludzidzini, where yesterday's Reed Dance took place.
Leader of the banned opposition party, the People's United Democratic Movement, Mario Masuks, criticised the king's use of the ceremony, saying he would not be encouraging his own daughter to take part in the festival.
"It is being abused for one man's personal satisfaction. No one can tell me that there is safety against HIV when the king just picks up one girl and within two months she is pregnant.
"He is not a good role model for safe sex and abstinence.
"The King has a passion for young women and opulence," Mr Masuks added.
However, with around 70 per cent of the population living on about 55 pence a day, most of the villagers cannot afford to upset tradition - or their chiefs, who are appointed by the king - in this tiny country which is surrounded by South Africa.
Zodma Mamba (16) said she was happy to take part in the reed dance because she likes to dance and you "get to eat meat and porridge two times a day. Normally I would only get to eat meat once a year. But I don't want to be chosen by the king, as I am too young to marry."
As the regiments of scantily-clad teenage girls in bright, coloured tassels danced and sang songs celebrating the country's royal family and celebrating womanhood, there were those among the crowd who were not impressed by the festivities. Zanelle Dlamini (20) from Swaziland's capital, Mbabane, insisted King Mswati III was not a good leader and that he was setting a very bad example for the country's youth.
"He has many wives, and having multiple partners spreads disease. Many people agree with me on the king, but there are still many who are loyal also. I decided I didn't want to take part in the reed dance - I don't like the attention or attire because you have your breasts exposed.
"The reed dance culture was nice a long time ago but now the girls misbehave over the course of the week, often sneaking out to get drunk," she said.
King Mswati III's critics have been highly vocal over the past few years for his opulent lifestyle. He reportedly spent £8 million on building a palace for each of his 10 wives, and £450,000 on BMWs for the family.
King Mswati III is the 67th son of King Sobhuza, who died in 1982, and the only child born to Ntombi Thwala, one of the king's younger wives. He was educated at Sherbourne School in Dorset and became the new Swazi king on April 25th, 1986, at the age of 18, four years after the death of his father.